Critic Reviews

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70

Bordersdown

Project Altered Beast is a bit of an odd one then. Despite its hammed-up plot, repetitive gameplay and simple execution, there is something to be said for its mindless violence and carnage. It should get tiresome, but somehow it doesn’t. With a greater variety of free-flowing combos and enemies that presented a real challenge, it could have been utterly fantastic. As it stands, the exemplary level design, expertly paced progression and collection elements are enough to make it an enjoyable and engaging adventure and one that should not be dismissed out of hand.

Altered Beast had the potential to be an excellent game. The ability to mutate into a terrifying beast at the push of a button is definitely an interesting concept if implemented correctly. The storyline could have been compelling if more thought and creativity was poured into it, by increasing the uniqueness of the enemies and adding more twists to the storyline. Unfortunately, Altered Beast fails to impress. It’s numerous problems, in particular the control scheme and boring fighting mechanics, have greatly prevented the game from becoming a worthwhile title. Fans of the original Altered Beast on the Sega Megadrive will likely find a lot to like with the second addition to the franchise, whilst more modern day gamers are likely to get bored of the game rather quickly.

Note to would be voice actors (avoid doing this): Until this game I always thought “transform” was one word. But, oh no, not when our stupidly hair styled hero utters it for the first time in bewilderment “trans…form?” When it comes to horror games they only have the most intelligent of characters and this one, like the AI, is cringe worthy. All in all, a nice concept which still has some charm but handled in a bad way. I really wanted to like this one. Sure it was fun but it had the depth of the puddle of mud to which it belongs.

In the end, Altered Beast is the gaming equivalent of a shrug of the shoulders. What would maybe work better as a 45-minute arcade game seems to have been expanded into an experience that lasts ten times or so that length. It doesn't do anything particularly badly, nor does it do anything particularly well. There are better games in the genre to spend your hard-earned pennies on, which will provide more depth and entertainment. Indeed, for the money, you could buy the relevant hardware and original game, should you really need an Altered Beast fix.

It's easy to see why this was pulled in the US a few months before release. Not because of the extreme levels of cartoonish gore, or suchlike. Upsetting America's moral majority has little to do with this decision. It's simply that Altered Beast doesn't cut it, and isn't good enough to justify a Stateside release.

The original Altered Beast was a masterpiece of innovation and seemingly drug-induced experimentation. Peppered with religious and artistic references (totally incomprehensible to the target audience then) and featuring novel ideas like transformation, it took the two-player scrolling beat-em-up (the bastion of best mates everywhere) to new heights, heights that to my mind have not been scaled since. You'd have to be pretty optimistic to expect anything quite so groundbreaking from the remake, almost seventeen years later [Holy crap is it that long? I am so old… Ancient Ed] but for those like myself who loved the original, there's always hope…

Anyone who was lucky enough to be blessed with one of history's greatest consoles, the Sega Megadrive, would no doubt be familiar with either Sonic The Hedgehog or Altered Beast, claimed to be two of the best titles on the system. While Sonic The Hedgehog is still largely known amongst Megadrive buyers, some people would’ve been lucky enough to play one of the best games for the console, Altered Beast. It had bam for its money, and the sheer brilliance of the game’s arcade-styled gameplay was stunning enough to guarantee pure success. Thankfully for those eager Altered Beast fans amongst us, Sega answered our prayers and decided to finally take the once fantastic side-scrolling title through the 3D transition and to hopefully once again make an impact on the gaming industry.

Altered Beast is a below-par game which is made even worse by the fact that it has a heritage from an earlier gamer generation. If you played the original and are considering the PS2 reincarnation; run. Run away and don’t look back. Some things are best left in the past.

Altered Beast had the potential to be an excellent game. The ability to mutate into a terrifying beast at the push of a button is definitely an interesting concept if implemented correctly. The storyline could have been compelling if more thought and creativity was poured into it, by increasing the uniqueness of the enemies and adding more twists to the storyline. Unfortunately, Altered Beast fails to impress. It's numerous problems, in particular the control scheme and boring fighting mechanics, have greatly prevented the game from becoming a worthwhile title. Fans of the original Altered Beast on the Sega Megadrive will likely find a lot to like with the second addition to the franchise, whilst more modern day gamers are likely to get bored of the game rather quickly.

There's a fine line between "classic" and just plain "old", and while some games of yesteryear are worth resurrecting, others simply aren't. As far as Altered Beast goes, we'd have to argue it falls into the latter category.

For those with short-term memories or a birth certificate that has yet to yellow with age, the original game first appeared in the arcades back in the late 1980s before being ported over to the Mega Drive.

Visually, matters are hardly improved by muddy textures and sloppy graphics which fail to satisfy the player. Environmental detail is poor, and bereft of any incidental objects that might've at least provided variety. The voice-acting is dire - truly matching Resident Evil in at least one department - and the musical accompaniment barely enough. There are options to view details on monsters and their appearance, but the only option Gamestyle suggests is that you select 'Quit'.